


Comfort

by Dreaming_of_Fairys



Series: When We Take Different Paths [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Bisexual Female Character, Cana/Gray/Loke brotp, Dorks in Love, Drunken Flirting, Drunken Shenanigans, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Love Confessions, Minor Lyoke, Pining, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Tumblr: FTLGBTales, WWTDP, minor Gratsu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-23 18:50:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16164773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreaming_of_Fairys/pseuds/Dreaming_of_Fairys
Summary: After watching Cana miserably pine after Lucy for ages, Gray and Loke decide to comfort their friend and get her to fess up. Sometimes all it takes is a little encouragement...and a lot of booze.





	Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello everyone! Here's my second submission for WWTDP, this time for the prompt "Comfort"! (Although it kind of fits "Flirt" too...)
> 
> [You don't have to have read part 1 in the series, I'm just grouping them all together for easy access for people who want to read them all at once!]
> 
> I hope you enjoy this silly Cana/Loke/Gray brotp + some Lucanna goodness! Let me know what you think in the comments!

It’s Friday night, and Cana finds herself totally sloshed again. This is nothing new, but it bothers her anyways. She tells everyone (including herself) that she only drinks for fun and for the taste. But she knows, as do her closest of friends, that this is a bold-faced lie. She drinks to give herself confidence, so she can effectively push down all of her raging insecurities. Without the alcohol, she feels like an empty shell of herself. But when drunk, Cana Alberona becomes flirty, forward, and feisty. Just the way she wants to be.

Recently, however, this hasn’t been doing her any favors. Typically her drunken confidence and great body charmed both men and women alike, giving her a drinking partner or a fun one-night stand. Now, these random flings don’t satisfy her. She yearns for something greater, for a deep emotional connection. Cana wants someone who understands her. She wants a _relationship_.

She already has her eye set on someone, but sadly, it’s not that simple. This _someone_ is way out of Cana’s league: kind, gentle, courageous... _beautiful._

 _Shit._ Cana doesn’t deserve to be with someone that. She’s nothing more than a pathetic, drunken disaster.

Unfortunately, Cana isn’t the kind of person to be content with keeping her mouth shut. When she wants something, she stands up and goes after it. Cana Alberona is no coward.

But if that’s so...why did the thought of talking to Lucy Heartfilia terrify her?

“Cana.” Her half-naked best friend sits on a barstool beside her. “You’re sulking. Cut it out. I don’t like it when you have that look on your face, that’s not the Cana I know.”

Cana snorts and glances at him out of the corner of her eye. “Hello to you too, Gray.”

Gray takes a drink from his own cup, then says, “No, seriously. You look like someone just died. What happened?”

Cana sighs, “That pathetic, huh?” She laughs bitterly, then hiccups. “Nothing ‘happened’. It’s been like this for a long time…” Cana pauses and looks into her drink. “And she’s totally oblivious.”

“Ahhh…” a small, knowing smile crosses Gray’s face, then slowly curls up into a smirk. “I see. You’ve got a crush.”

“It’s not a crush!” Cana exclaims too loudly, slurring her words a bit. She swears under her breath, then rubs her temple. “Ugh. If it was just a crush, I wouldn’t be sitting here like this. She’s…” Cana groans. “ _Shit._ I wish this was just a crush. Then I’d know it’d pass.”

“How long have you felt this way about her?” Gray asks, the pieces starting to click into place.

Cana knows Gray is the best person to open up too, but still feels hesitant. She knows it’s silly to feel a bit scared to say anything, considering how similar their situations are and how close they’ve been for all these years. They’ve been good friends since they were kids. They’d come out as bisexual to each other before either of them told anyone else. And most of all, gray knows _exactly_ how it feels to be afraid of rejection. He also has feelings for someone, but hasn’t said a word to them.

“Since right before Tenrou Island,” she admits, and watches as Gray gapes at her. “Yeah. I know. Not that long, but...we were stuck on Tenrou for _seven years._ We lost so much time with our friends… And then, right after all that, the Eclipse Gate shit happened, which also messed with time! We almost all _died_ , Gray. There’s no telling what may happen next… And after everything she’s done for me...it would kill me inside to lose my chance to tell her. I should act now. Express my feelings before it’s too late.” Cana bites her lip nervously, “But...she probably won’t take me seriously. Everyone knows I’m a flirt and a drunk. She probably thinks I’m a slut. Or a cheater, because that’s the stereotype, right?”

“ _Cana_ ,” Gray looks her dead in the eyes. “Lucy isn’t the type to make bullshit assumptions like that.”

Cana opens her mouth to ask how the hell he knew who she was talking about, then closes it again. Gray knows her better than anyone, of course he figured it out easily.

Gray continues on, “She’ll give you a chance if she’s interested, and if she’s not, she’ll turn you down very nicely.” He fiddles with his drink. “Lucy’s comfortable around you, Cana, which means you have a chance. Regardless of how it turns out, she’ll be kind. She _cares_ about you.”

“But what if flirting with her _ruins_ that bond we have?” Cana snaps a bit too harshly. “It’d make it seem like all of those close encounters we had was just me trying to get with her!” She spills a bit of beer on the counter, then looks at it irritatedly. “ _Fuck._ ”

“I doubt she’ll think that,” Gray rolls his eyes. “Besides, sometimes you _are_ subtly flirting with her, sooo…”

“Girls are so fucking _confusing_ ,” Cana whines. “They bathe with you, cuddle with you, hold your hand, or kiss your cheek, and then say how happy they are to be friends with you! At least in your case, guys don’t pull any of that bullshit. You have physical, intimate contact like that, you know it’s gay and they’re into you. There’s none of that ‘is she _actually_ into me?’ bullshit!”

Gray mumbles something under his breath that sounds like, “I’m just as confused as you, but I guess it’s for a different reason…”

Before Cana can ask him about it, they are interrupted by a very familiar voice, smooth and silky. “Let me guess, Cana, you’re talking about Lucy?”

Without turning around to see who it is, the two friends chorus, “Hey, Loke.”

“I figured I would stop by and visit my two favorite friends,” he says, sliding onto the barstool on Cana’s left side. “I’ve missed you two, I’ve felt like I’ve been lacking in chaotic bisexual energy.”

“You’re the most chaotic person I know, so pretty sure that’s impossible,” Gray quips dryly.

Loke scoffs and messes with the cuff of his right sleeve. “So insulting. How dare you insinuate that I’m more chaotic than _Natsu_ ?” A sly smirk crosses his face. “I swear...he really needs someone to... _cool_ him off. Don’t you think?”

Gray growls and shoots him a glare. “Oh, can it, Loke. We’re not here for you to shame me more for my lack of balls when it comes to my love life. I’m having an intervention with Cana to try to convince her to stop being a coward and ask Lucy out.”

“Well,” Loke sighs dramatically, voice full of jest, “I would encourage it, but Lucy and I are soulmates. You know it’s true.”

“You wish,” Gray snickers. “She’s not interested in you at all. Go find someone else to chase after.”

“I was kidding, you know,” Loke rolls his eyes. “And I already have found someone else.” His smirk grows as his expression turns from annoyed to smug. “An old friend of yours, Gray. He’s quite the asshole, but that makes everything _far_ more entertaining.” Loke meets Gray’s eyes again. “I’m surprised he hasn’t said anything to you. And here I was thinking you were close...a pity, it’d be fun to gossip about you.”

Gray stares at Loke like he’s gone insane, gritting his teeth. “Who the fuck-?! Someone from the guild?!”

“No, he’s in Lam-”

“Shut up, both of you!” Cana slams her mug down on the table, too drunk and frustrated to deal with their shenanigans. “I’m not in the mood for any of this right now!”

“Sorry, Cana,” her friends mumble. They share a worried glance, then turn back to look at her.

“I think you should go for it,” Gray admits, rubbing her back. “Lucy talks about you a lot, you know. I think you’ll got a really good chance.”

“I think so too,” Loke agrees, running his fingers through his hair. “You miss all the shots you don’t take, dear Cana. Live a little dangerously. Have some closure! Make Lucy _swoon._ ”

“Okay, okay-” Cana hiccups and gets to her feet, swaying a bit in place. “I’m gonna do it!”

“Good luck, be safe!” Loke beams. “And most of all, do us proud!”

“If it somehow goes badly, we’ll be here with vodka!” Gray says.

“I love you guys,” Cana slurs, grinning widely. “You’re the best.”

“We know,” Loke pushes her lightly. “Now _go_!”

As Cana walks away, Gray urns to Loke and fist-bumps him. “Told you it’d happen eventually.”

“Let’s not celebrate prematurely,” Loke sighs. “I hate when people get too... _eager_ too soon.”

Cana rolls her eyes and walks away, not wanting to stick around and hear Gray attempt to make a comeback from Loke’s horribly executed innuendo. Likely, it will result more bickering and trying to one-up each other.

She walks with a swagger in her step as she moves across the guild hall, hoping she appears confident and attractive. Her blood buzzes with alcohol, but instead of it sickening her, she lets it give her strength.

She spots Lucy across the guild hall, the Celestial Mage sitting at a table with Natsu and Happy. Those two...they are scarfing down massive amounts of food as usual, only stopping briefly to comment on something Lucy said, then going back to consuming their meals.

Cana stops at the end of the table. Everyone present turns to look at her curiously, and Cana hops up onto the edge of the table. She leans back on one of her arms, crossing her legs and letting them swing a bit off the side. Natsu and Happy gape at her like she’s grown a second head, and Cana can hear Natsu whisper, “Happy, somethin’ weird is happening.”

“Aye, sir,” Happy whispers back.

Natsu pulls his scarf over his face and grabs Happy, then dashes off. Cana easily sees them hiding behind another table, and catches a chorus of “Nin-Nin!”. What dorks… Well, they can spy all they want. Cana has a mission of her own to accomplish.

“Cana…!” Lucy exclaims, smiling at her. “Hey! Is everything alright?”

“Alright?” Cana echoes, then shakes her head slightly. _Focus, Cana._ Letting a seductive smile cross her face, she leans closer to Lucy and says, “More than alright...now that I’m over here with you.”

Lucy flushes pink, “Cana-”

Cana pulls more of her body onto the table, allowing her to get even closer to Lucy. She purposefully angles her body slightly down, showing off the tops of her breasts. “I always have such a good time when I’m with you, Lucy…”

Lucy draws in a sharp intake of breath, clearly struggling to _not look down_. Cana, feeling victorious and powerful, opens her mouth to continue flirting when Lucy suddenly completely turns away. “Cana, you’re drunk…”

The words are like a slap to the face. She’s always fucking drunk. Lucy’s enjoyed time with her even when drunk, the two of them have even gotten drunk _together_ ! Why does that matter? Is that Lucy’s way of trying to “kindly reject” her? Cana feels a surge of rage. _Fuck you, Gray…! This stings even more than a harsh rejection would._

Cana clenches her hand into a fist. Starting to shake, she spits out, “Yeah. I am. I always am.”

She starts to move off of the table when a gentle hand rests upon her own. She starts, then turns to look at Lucy. The other girl’s eyes are filled with sympathy and worry. “Cana...I didn’t mean it like that. I…” Her lip trembles, and Cana feels a stab of guilt in her chest like a knife. “It’s more that I don’t know if you do...all of the things that you do, really...because of the alcohol, or because of...something else.”

 _Oh._ Suddenly, all the pieces snap into place. Cana moves her fingers so she’s holding Lucy’s hand, her heart pounding in her chest. “If I told you it has nothing to do with the alcohol, would that make you feel better…?”

Lucy smiles shyly, blushing darker. “Then...what is it?”

 _Shit, too pretty-!_ Cana swears mentally, struggling not to look away. This is _so embarrassing_ . Cana, reduced to a stammering shy mess at the sight of a girl...nope, this couldn’t be happening! “Um...it’s…” _Just say it, Cana!_

Lucy tucks a piece of hair behind her ear with her free hand. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this shy before…” she admits. “Don’t worry...I promise I won’t judge you.”

 _Maybe she doesn’t feel the same way? She sounds like she has no idea what this is about…!_ Cana finally tears her eyes away. “Nevermind.”

“No, not nevermind-” Lucy’s voice spikes with worry. “Cana, tell me what’s going on…”

The room around Cana spins as her vision blurs. She knows it isn’t from the alcohol, due to her high tolerance, which means that this sudden disoriented feeling comes solely from her nerves. This is it, right here...the moment she’s been avoiding for all of this time. She has to tell Lucy how she feels. Lying at this point would be foolish, after all. If she chickens out now, she might never get a chance like this again.

And so, Cana takes a slow, deep breath...and tells her. “I...really admire you, Lucy. I think you’re gorgeous, brave, smart, caring, and... _beautiful_.” She purposefully emphasizes the last word, looking Lucy right in the eyes. She wouldn’t want to miss the look on Lucy’s face for the world.

Lucy looks back at her with wide brown eyes, her pink lips parting in surprise. Her cheeks, dusted lightly with color, flush darker with each passing moment. To Cana’s elation, she sees no hatred or disgust, only understanding and gratitude.

“Will you…” Cana trails off, starting to lose her nerve. She coughs, clearing her throat, and starts again in a much stronger tone of voice. “Will you go on a date with me, Lucy?”

Their fingers intertwine more as a wide smile spreads across Lucy’s face. “You mean it-?” she exclaims a little too loudly, then blushes shyly. “S-Sorry. I just...I thought maybe I was reading into our interactions too much… I thought we were just friends, and you were just being nice. I was worried you wouldn’t ever think of me in the same way.”

Cana can’t help but to laugh at that. “Wanna know something funny? That’s exactly what I was worried about too.” She laughs and leans closer to Lucy, their foreheads touching. “We’re pretty clueless, huh?”

Lucy giggles in response and closes her eyes. “ _Really_ clueless.”

Cana’s entire body buzzes with electricity. They’re so close to each other now, their lips barely an inch apart.  Cana never thought this would come to pass. All this time, she’s been dreaming of this moment… Will Lucy’s lips feel as soft as they look? Cana’s head spins, her lips tingle, her cheeks flush pink, and she leans forward to close the gap-

“They’re in looooooooooove~!”

Cana yelps and nearly falls off of the table. Happy, flying right above their heads, does his usual laugh behind his paws. Lucy’s face turns red as a ripe tomato as she reaches up for Happy, shrieking, “Shitty cat-!”

“I CALLED IT!” Loke shouts from the bar, opening the bottle of vodka.

“ _WE_ CALLED IT!” Gray clarifies, not wanting to lose out on the credit. He pushes a shot glass towards Loke, and the Celestial Spirit fills it with a flourish.

“Cheers to Cana and Lucy!” Loke shouts, putting his own shot glass in the air.

“CHEERS!” the rest of the guild shouts, all raising their drinks as well.

Lucy looks away from everyone, face still burning. Cana laughs as everyone clinks their cups together and chugs their drinks, feeling loved and supported. Sure, the guild will turn any occasion into a party, but this still feels special. She glances at Lucy and grins, and Lucy finally meets her eyes and smiles back, starting to giggle. They really are part of a special guild. Everyone is going to be cool with this, they’re going to celebrate it but not make a huge deal of it, it’s going to be fun and not embarrassing at all-

“Oh man, I can’t wait to see how Gildarts reacts to this,” Macao says to Wakaba, glancing at the new couple out of the corner of his eye.

“He’ll probably smother them both,” Wakaba laughs. “Either that, or he’ll have a veryyyy long talk with Lucy about treating Cana right.”

Cana’s groan of frustration easily pierces the din of the party.

So much for not being embarrassing.


End file.
